I’ve had my eye on this nearby mullein plant for 2 months waiting for it to flower. New flowers open up each day.

Mullein makes a very appropriate first herbal ally for beginners in herbcraft.

In the 19th century, people smoked mullein leaves or dried flowers to treat respiratory diseases, coughs, and asthma symptoms – a practice borrowed from the Mohegan and Penobscot Indians.

Mullein is an Old World plant, where it was for centuries an esteemed medicinal herb. The colonists planted it in their gardens; it has since escaped and become naturalized in various species throughout the United States….

One of the home remedies (and now commercial) uses for marigolds is that is makes a pretty effective spray to repel flies, horse flies, tomato hornworms, leaf-cutting insects and asparagus beetles. There is a natural commercial version that uses marigold as a fly spray for dogs, cats and horses.

We live in an area with quite a few horse farms, and they are always dealing with that issue, especially on very hot days. No toxic chemicals here to make you or your animals sick.

So I’ve been working in the garden a lot lately, which is great, because, yay flowers and vegetables! I’ve loved grubbing around in the dirt for the last 50 or so years, but lately, now that I’m blogging at Deep Roots at Home, I’m extra glad to have a chance to get outdoors and be off the computer for a few hours every day.

It has been just wonderful to have lots of fresh organic spinach this spring and early summer for smoothie-making! But, alas, now the spinach has run its course. What to do? I’m spoiled and hate to go back to store- bought. To think of the money we’ve saved!

When I looked for information on saving the seed of my spinach plants, I had trouble finding anything much. It was time to do some detective work in my garden. So I watched and waited….

Salsa verde, or green salsa, is a delicious dip made from fire roasted tomatillos.

Tomatillos are not baby tomatoes! Tomatillos are a part of the tomato family bearing small, spherical fruit. Tomatillos (Spanish is toma verde) are a staple in Mexican cuisine.

Today, I have a green salsa recipe that you will love so much you’ll want to make it summer after summer. Tomatillo salsa verde is so very simple, yet so fresh and good chilled, especially on a hot day!

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